It’s a record-breaking year for summer school enrollment at many universities nationwide, but not in the University of Hawaii System. Many students pursuing degrees to gain an edge on their competitors in an ailing job market decided not to skip a beat this summer, according to a recent report by Inside Higher Ed. At UH, though, which had a record-high fall enrollment, preliminary summer school numbers continued a four-year downward trend. This year’s enrollment for summer classes was roughly 14,600, down by nearly 2,500, or 15 percent from 2007’s summer enrollment of 17,100.

UH is not the only school with flat or low summer numbers, though. The University of California at Los Angeles saw little to no change in its summer numbers, according to Ann Larson’s report. The difference is that UCLA attributes its flat numbers to a tuition hike effective this summer. UH attributes its dropping summer participation to a constellation of causes.

“In part our (summer) enrollments are down because we are offering fewer sections,” said Linda Johnsrud, vice president for Academic Planning and Policy at UH.

The high cost of living in Hawaii also contributes to low summer school participation numbers, she said.

“Many of our students use the summer months to work and to prepare financially for the fall and the traditional academic school year,” Johnsrud said, adding that other students participate in summer internships for on-the-job training. Larson’s report noted that the floundering economy actually makes it harder for many students to find summer work and internships, which in turn “gives them greater awareness of the need to complete a degree as quickly and inexpensively as possible.”

In other states, universities benefit from students who return home for the summer and want to continue building credits toward graduation. Hawaii may not see that same trend, because many local students may stay on the mainland.

In contrast to UH’s summer numbers, fall enrollment has been on a steady rise since 2007 and fall 2010 registration is on track to hit 60,000, up from 58,157 registered students last fall.

“Fall enrollment is used as the key indicator, because spring enrollments typically drop off a bit,” Johnsrud explained. The steady increase in registration for the traditional school year “underscores the importance of the university to the state’s economy, as students come to us not only to prepare for new careers but also to re-tool their skills for career changes brought on by the economic downturn,” she said.

But the UH campuses are looking closely at summer school enrollment and how to increase it, since it can also play a key role in fast-tracking students to their degrees.

“Summer school is run on a self-sufficient basis, and tuition has to cover the costs,” Johnsrud said. “We will be examining the tuition we charge for summer school to see whether we can maximize student enrollment, and in turn, minimize students’ time to degree.”

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